THE VAMPIRE AND THE THIEF - PART 3 (INC ENDING)
by esther carney
Summary: Angel/avenging angel crossover fic. this is the third part. too bad I couldn't up-load the pics that go with this story.


EMAIL ME

FEMALE ACTION HEROES

BUFFY HOME

FANFIC INDEX

FAN FORUM FOR BUFFY

LINKS

****

Angie telephoned her New York friend McFarlane as soon as Angel had departed and asked him to look into Wolfram & Hart for her, then she rang up Lindsey and told him Angel had visited. He sounded concerned, asking her several times if she was okay.  
"I'm coming over," he said.  
"It's okay, I don't need protecting."  
"I know a lot more about vampires than you. I'm on my way."  
  
McFarlane got on the case straight away ringing up one of his colleagues, a detective in Los Angeles. "Know anything about a law firm called Wolfram & Hart?" he asked.  
"Of course," the detective replied. "Only the biggest law firm in the state. Why?"  
"Are they legit?"  
The detective hesitated only briefly. Like a lot of the senior police he was in the pay of Wolfram & Hart. You either took the money, or they had something over you to blackmail you with, or they killed you. It wasn't much of a choice. The detective had a family to support and the extra income came in very handy for his children's education. "Completely. I don't like lawyers much generally, but at least these ones seem to have some morals."  
"Thanks," McFarlane said.  
"Why are you asking?"  
"They're defending a friend of mine. A close friend."  
"Your friend will be just fine. They always get results."  
"I hope so. She needs a break." Been through more than enough he thought as he dialled Angie on the number she had given him.   
  
Angie had just finished talking to McFarlane when Lindsey knocked on her door.  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
"Fine," Angie replied showing him inside.   
"What did he want?"  
"He told me you and all of Wofram & Hart are evil."  
"He never changes his tactics," Lindsey said. "Did he want anything else?"  
"Just to try and make some excuses why he didn't save Jason."  
"He probably wanted to tell you what happens to vampires when they're exposed to daylight?"  
"What happens to them?" Angie asked.  
"They get pretty sleepy."  
"So he had to run away."  
"No not really. It takes a few hours before they actually fall completely asleep."  
"How do you know so much?" Angie asked, impressed with her new friend's knowledge.  
"Our company has done a lot of research on Angelus. Ever since he ate the boss's little girl?"  
"He ate a child?"  
"Sucked all the blood right out of her tiny body."  
"He told me he isn't evil anymore, that he's got a soul."  
"Well if it's true it happened yesterday, because two days ago he ate one of our clerical workers as well."  
"Wonder why he didn't try and eat me too?"  
"He bides his time, and strikes when he's ready. My feeling is for some reason he wants you for something else. Just wish I knew what. I want you to come home to my place. It's safer there."  
"I can take care of myself," Angie said.  
"You don't know anything about vampires. They can move like lightening. They have enormous strength. Unless you decapitate them or stake them through the heart, they don't die."  
"I don't need a babysitter."  
Lindsey gave Angie a sharpened wooden stake for protection, then, with much persuasion from Angie, he eventually went home.

The next day was the first day of Angie's court-case. Lindsey made an impassioned speech to the assembly. The prosecution seemed to be affected too as far as Angie could tell, because they didn't push the way they normally did to have her locked up for life. In fact they seemed to her to be quite sympathetic for a change.  
"That went very well," Lindsey said after the days proceedings were over. "You happy with everything?"  
Angie beamed at him. "Very."  
He smiled back. "It'll soon be over. Only another week at most and you'll have your freedom."  
"Thank you."  
  
Angie had only been home a few hours when there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she asked, wondering if it was Angel. They sleep during the day, she reminded herself.  
"It's me," Lindsey said.   
"Oh hi Lindsey," Angie said opening the door and motioning him inside. Then she saw his expression. "What's wrong?"  
"My boss has just found out Angel was with you when you tried to rescue Jason."  
"And?" she asked shutting the door again.  
"He's so bitter, you know, about what happened to his little daughter. He's ordered me not to continue with your defence."  
Angie felt cold. "But I'm not friends with him. I hate him, he let Jason die. I've heard about those terrible things he did. I'm not his friend, truly."  
"I know that," Lindsey said. "But my boss, well he's not someone you can reason with easily. Look, I have some colleagues from another firm. They're pretty good. I'll hand your case over to them."  
"And I'll still get no jail-time?"  
"I don't know about that. There's a chance. At least you shouldn't get more than five years."  
Angie felt physically sick. She'd let herself get so carried away these last few days with the dreams that her days of being a fugitive were finally over, but now it all seemed to be falling apart.   
Lindsey appeared to be deep in thought for several seconds. "There might be a way. If you helped bring Angelus to justice, the boss would be very grateful, and you'd be doing the world a favor."  
"What do you want me to do?" Angie asked. "How do you bring a Vampire to justice? Do you jail him?"  
"No prison could hold a vampire for long. The only way of dealing with Angelus would be to capture him and lock him in a vault for the rest of eternity."  
"Why don't you just stake him?"  
"Our firm doesn't believe in killing, even those already dead."  
"Being locked in a vault would be worse than being dead."  
"Not for vampires. They just sleep."  
"What makes you think I can help you?"  
"He obviously wants you for some reason, or he wouldn't have sent you that book and tried so hard to convince you he's good. That book probably had some crap in it to justify why he ran away from Jason and left him to die at the hands of Pennisi's men. You can arrange a meeting with Angelus. Tell him you have some important information, then we can expose him to daylight and he'll go to sleep."  
"But you said it takes time for vampires to fall asleep."  
"That's only at dawn. The midday sun puts them to sleep instantly."  
"Then how will he get to the meeting place if it's daylight?"  
"The way he always gets around the city during the day. Through the sewage system."  
"Ick." Angie had plenty of experience hiding in sewers and drains herself in the past. But if Wolfram & Hart could persuade the courts to let her go, her days of running from the law would finally be over.  
Lindsey made a few calls from his cell-phone, then said, "Right, here's the plan."  
Angie, pulled out the card Angel had given her and dialed the number.  
"Angel Investigations," a cheerful female voice said. "We help the helpless."  
"I can't talk long. It's Angie Ryan here. I have some important information for Angel. He can meet with me tomorrow at midday at the St Henry's Mausoleum in South Street."  
"Well uh," Cordelia said. "He's kind of tied up at midday, how about tomorrow night?"  
"Sorry, I have to go. He must meet me at midday. Bye." Angie put the receiver back in it's cradle and looked at Lindsey. "Think he'll show?"  
"No, he'll come here tonight. So tonight you're staying with me, no argument."  
She nodded.   
"He'll show," Lindsey said. "I've been trying to capture him for years."  
"And he hasn't killed you yet?"  
"He's tried," Lindsey said holding up his gloved right hand. "Just got my hand."  
  
Lindsey was standing in the kitchen cooking dinner, when he took a bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator. "It says on your file you don't drink," he said. "But you could make an exception and have one tiny glass."  
She grinned. "Hey, I'm underage. Anyway I like to keep my reflexes in condition. Never know when I might need them. So what else does it say on my file?"  
"You were tortured by Morgan when you were only twelve years old. You still bear the scars, emotionally and physically."  
Her smile faded. "Emotionally I'm fine, no scars."   
"Is it true he's still after you?"  
"He's hunting for me and he'll never give up."  
"Once this court-case is over we can put you on the witness protection program, and you won't have to worry about him anymore."  
She shook her head. "I'll never be safe as long as Morgan's alive."  
After the dinner was finished, and Angie had prepared herself to go to bed, Lindsey met her in the corridor.   
"Thanks for the dinner," Angie said. "And for letting me say here, and for helping me."  
"I want to help you," Lindsey said softly.  
Angie cocked her head to one side. "Why?"  
"Because you've had a rough time, and..." he hesitated. "Because I have feelings for you." He put both hands on her shoulders, and brought his lips towards hers.  
Angie's heart skipped a beat as she lifted her mouth towards him. A moment later they were kissing. At first warm soft kisses, then harder more passionate ones. As Lindsey slipped his hands down the back of her jeans Angie suddenly pulled away. "I'm sorry Lindsey, I can't do this."  
"You don't like me?"  
"It's not that," she said quickly. "I've just had some pretty bad experiences in the past and..."  
"No emotional scars?"  
She smiled slightly. Lindsey knew her better than she thought. "Well maybe a few," she admitted reluctantly as she opened the bedroom door. "I'll see you in the morning."  
"Okay, goodnight Angie," Lindsey said. Then as she closed the door he said, "I care about you Angie. When this Angel business and court case are over, we're going to see what we can do about those scars."  
  
Angie shivered in the cold of the Mausoleum and glanced up at the ceiling. Although the ceiling looked solid, Lindsey had explained how it would slide back exposing everything inside to the full force of the midday sun when he pressed the button. Maybe he wouldn't show, Angie thought to herself. And although it seemed irrational, for some reason she suddenly found herself hoping he wouldn't. Then she thought of her impending trial. No, he had to show. This had to happen.  
Her cell-phone rang and she removed it from her back pocket. It was her FBI friend McFarlane in New York.   
"Hi kiddo, just thought I'd update you on the Finlay thing. Someone saw him getting his ass kicked in the parking lot, and the description of the assailant matches the one of your friend Angel."  
"He's not my friend," Angie said quietly.  
Why would Angel beat up Finlay, Angie thought as she put her cell phone away? It didn't make sense.

  
There was a scraping sound from under the floor, and a solid block of marble slid aside from which Angel emerged a moment later.  
"What did you want to see me about?" Angel asked.  
"I'm sorry, I know this is normally your sleepy time." She walked a little way away, hoping he would follow. If he was too near the exit when the ceiling opened, Lindsey had warned her he might escape by jumping down the tunnel again. "I found out what happens to vampires when they're exposed to light," she said, "so I understand why you had to leave Jason."  
"If I'd been incinerated it wouldn't have helped him," Angel said, without moving.   
"You were right about Wofram & Hart," she said. "Look at this." She beckoned him over to a box on a cloth covered table. Incinerated, she thought? Lindsey had told her he'd just become sleepy when exposed to daylight. What would Angel gain from such a lie?  
Angel began walking towards her.  
Angie recalled Cordelia's cheerful voice when she'd answered the telephone. "Angel Investigations. We help the helpless." Angie remembered Angel's words when he thought the vampire Razor had won and the whole of humanity would be plunged into Hell. He'd said in a whispered voice, "I'm sorry, I've let the whole of humanity down." And then there was US Marshall Finlay. Angel had beaten up Finlay after the sadistic pig had tortured her. Her mind went back to that kiss when Angel and her were in the vampire house. There was a loud scraping sound as the ceiling began to open. A shaft of sunlight fell across the floor trapping Angel on her his side of the room and effectively blocking off Angel's exit down the tunnel. Angie recalled Angel's warning about Wolfram & Hart. He'd said, "They're a very successful firm. They bribe those they can, murder anyone who stands in the way of their objectives, and with their help I'm sure you'll soon be permanently out of jail. You want to buy your freedom with other people's blood? Don't you think it's strange that Judge Everton conveniently had a heart attack before you're trial." The bright sunlight falling through the rapidly increasing gap in the ceiling was no brighter than the flash of truth which now hit Angie right between the eyes. Lindsey had lied to her. Angel wasn't evil. It was Wolfram & Hart! Angel had been racing around the room following the last vestiges of shadow in the room, but now he stood, back hard pressed up against a wall as the ceiling opened fully and the light enveloped him. Instantly he was in flames.  
The cloth covered table next to Angie was on wheels. She pushed it hard, and it rolled towards Angel. "Under here - quickly!"  
Angel didn't need to be told. Now a fire-ball, he dived beneath the table. The cloth around it caught fire, but he still managed to move the table, fast turtle style, towards the exit. A moment later he had escaped.  
Lindsey with several other men appeared through a doorway near the tunnel. Angie's experienced eyes, noted the tell-tale bulge under the jacket of one of them, indicating he wore a shoulder holster. An older man who was with the group addressed Angie. "Miss Ryan, Wolfram & Hart are very disappointed in you."  
Feeling uneasy, Angie walked towards them. The closer she was to an exit the better.   
The older man turned towards the man who was armed. "Dispose of her please."  
"You promised me she wouldn't be harmed," Lindsey objected.  
Angie continued approaching the group.  
"That was before," the older man said calmly. "The situation has changed now."  
The other man drew his gun and pointed it at Angie, but Lindsey slammed his shoulder into the man causing him to stumble. Angie didn't waste the opportunity, as her leg shot out, she kicked the gun from the man's hand, followed by a swift punch to his head. He fell backwards as she picked up the weapon.  
"Hands up everybody," Angie said. She aimed the gun at the older man who was obviously in charge, then slowly moved the line of her gun towards Lindsey's head.  
"I'm sorry Angie," Lindsey said.  
"Yeah," Angie said, "everyone's always sorry when they're looking down the barrel of a gun." She kept the weapon pointed at his head for a few long seconds, then shot him in the thigh before leaping down the tunnel.  
  
Cordelia knocked on Angel's door.  
"What is it?" he called.   
"You've got a visitor," she said. "That Wolfram & Hart girl who fried you. Want me to send her away?"  
"Ryan? No. Give me a few minutes then let her in."  
"Okay," Cordelia said lightly.  
Angel, dressed in trousers but with bare torso, picked up the telephone and dialed the police. Even the effort of moving his arm to the telephone aggravated the pain from his severely burnt arm and body. A few minutes later Cordelia entered the room followed by Angie.  
Angel was seated on his bed glaring darkly at Angie.  
"Are you okay?" Angie asked, horrified by his appearance, seeing his whole face and body covered in burns.  
"How do I look?"  
"I mean, will it all heal?" she asked.  
"Yes."  
"I just came to say I'm sorry look," she said. "I should have trusted you. I guess it's just..." She looked down. "It's just that I so wanted the chance to be free, not on the run anymore. I wanted to have a normal life, and I wanted it so much it just blinded me to everything."  
"McDonald seduced you," Angel said.  
"Yes," she agreed.  
"You did it with Lindsey McDonald?" Cordelia said wrinkling up her nose. "Ew."  
"I didn't do it with him," Angie said quickly. Then she lowered her voice. "But he seduced me just the same." She sighed. "Now because of me Judge Everton is dead, and you're..."  
"I'm feeling better. Especially knowing the police are just outside, waiting to take you back to jail where you belong."  
"You didn't?" Angie said.  
"I hear that US Marshall, what was his name, Finlay, is out of hospital. I suppose he might want to question you later."  
Angie met Angel's steady gaze but swallowed hard.  
"Who's Finlay?" Cordelia asked.  
"A corrupt cop who hates me," Angie said evenly. "He tortures me whenever I'm in custody." She focussed her attention back on Angel. "I don't blame you for turning me in. I would probably have done the same. Okay so now we're quits."  
Despite his pain Angel managed to raise one of his rare smiles. "Guess that's true. Maybe I'll see you around some time."  
"You can count on it," Angie said, backing towards the door. "Until next time." Without another word Angie hurriedly left the room.  
Cordelia followed, then returned to Angel's room a few minutes later. Angel now sitting in one corner huddled under a blanket, glanced up at Cordelia and winced as the coarse material from the blanket rubbed against his raw skin.  
"She got away down your sewer exit," Cordelia said.  
"You showed her where it was didn't you," Angel retorted.  
Cordelia shrugged. "I may have. Don't forget she did save you in the end."  
"After she set me on fire first."  
"Better late than never," Cordelia said with a cheerful smile. 

**HOME**

****


End file.
